"Leisure was not, in fact, an excuse to relax.  It was a hole to fill up with more wants (which, in turn, required more work to pay for them)."

From Your Money or Your Life by Robin & Dominguez

"Our economy depends on growth to survive--and many of us have absorbed that growth ethic into our own aspirations for our lives. If we have one car, we need two. If we have one pair of pants, we need two; if we have two, we need three. We ignore intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth, having gotten stuck trying to continue to grow physically by adding more and more possessions."

From Your Money or Your Life by Robin & Dominguez

"If more is better, then what I have is not enough.  Even when I do get the 'more' I was convinced would make life 'better,' however, I am still operating out of the belief that more is better--so the 'more' I now have still isn't enough....The 'more' that was supposed to make life 'better' can never be enough."

From Your Money or Your Life by Robin & Dominguez

"Look at what you have and not at what you had." Suze Ormon

Although I have heard Suze say this before, I think the timing is great.  It is good for people looking at real estate, stocks, etc which have lost "value" in the last couple of years.  In my opinion, you can not think the increases or decreases as "real" until you are ready, willing, or are able to sell. 

 

"Decluttering and organizing your space inevitably makes you look at how you spend your time. How much of it has been spent acquiring belongings you never use? Recreational shopping-shopping for fun- is a national habit. It makes us feel productive ("We're buying things we need to live life"), successful ("We can afford this-we're doing well"), and in control of our destinies ("If I buy this, my home will be prettier, my wardrobe will be more stylish, I'll finally be happy"). Shopping can easily become a substitute for all kinds of emotional satisfaction. "Retail therapy" may seem like it will ward off loneliness, fear, and dissatisfaction, but it usually leads to credit card bills and more stuff than you have room for. Retail therapy = clutter. There's so much to do beyond spending your life at the mall. Instead of acquiring possessions, we can accumulate life experiences-experiences that breed love and affection." Peter Walsh in It's All Too Much

"If we shift and think about abundance, not as material possessions but in what we already have—nature and time—then all of a sudden it does feel unlimited. That's the shift we need to make in our lives to get to a point of equilibrium, so the world actually becomes a peaceful place to live."  Mark Zaifman

 

 

I am very fond of a great quote and I found this one very timely.  Roosevelt hits the concept of presence into a time of economic turmoil. 

"If you're tempted to keep someting because it was expensive, remember the difference between value and cost. Value is what something is worth.  You spent a lot of money on it. To throw it away would mean admitting that the money was wasted. Now you need to think about the cost. What is it costing you to keep this item? How much space? How much energy? What about the peace of mind that comes from having a clean home full of things you use? You once made a decision to purchase this expensive thing that you never use. Now, if you keep it, you'll be throwing good space after bad money."

Peter Walsh

It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh